Finance Board Declines To Cut School Spending

EAST HADDAM — The board of finance voted not cut any money from the proposed education budget Thursday night after a three-hour joint meeting of the boards of finance, education and selectmen.

Finance board Chairman Andrew Tarpill described the board's action as a quasi-positive approach.

Tarpill urged residents to approve the school budget, which is only 1 percent more than last year's budget.

Residents will have to wait until at least Thanksgiving to vote on the $9 million education budget. The November election is the reason that the next referendum will be delayed for more than a month.

The general government budget of more than $5 million remains in limbo until the education budget is approved. Both the town and the school district have been using an interim budget, which is the same as the budgets for the 1994-95 budget year.

In the meantime, Tarpill said the school board should work to change the perceptions of disgruntled voters in the weeks before the referendum. The school board agreed to consider restructuring administration in an attempt to save money.

However, the contentious item remained administrative spending. First Selectwoman Susan D. Merrow suggested that the school board cut administrative spending to appease voters who have rejected the budget in four referendums.

School board Chairman John Fielding said residents have said they will not vote for the budget unless School Superintendent Daniel Thompson is fired.

``You terminate someone for cause,'' he said. ``There is clearly no cause to terminate Dr. Thompson. He hasn't stolen any money.''

Fielding said residents can buy out Thompson's three-year contract. It will be costly. To buy out the superintendent's contract would cost $315,000, he said.

The board of finance will meet Nov. 6 to set the date for the town's fifth referendum.